Magic news: Jonathan Isaac's COVID-19 stance draws take from Ted Cruz

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, still recuperating from his rash of injuries, suddenly found himself on the spotlight anew because of his adamant refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Isaac, Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors are just some of the high-profile NBA players who have rejected inoculation the way people reject the finale of Game of Thrones.

Their stance has been clowned by many these days. But Isaac, who said choosing to get vaccinated or not is the choice of each person, got an unusual supporter. Not from the NBA, but from the United States Senate in the form of Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who took to Twitter to express his support for Isaac.

1/2 Jonathan Isaac is absolutely right:

"It is my belief that the vaccine status of every person should be their own choice, completely up to them, without bullying, without being pressured, without being forced into doing so." https://t.co/01SiVCgroc

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 28, 2021

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.

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2/2 Isaac is 100% correct:

"What it is that you do with your body when it comes to putting medicine in there should be your choice, free of the ridicule and the opinion of others."

Why do Dems disagree?

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 28, 2021

The 23-year-old Isaac has been very vocal about his refusal to get immunized against COVID-19, similar to his divergent stance against kneeling during the national anthem in the NBA Bubble two seasons ago. He has received heavy flak for that, but the former Florida State standout stuck with his principles.

Isaac is still working his way back with the Magic after missing all of last season because of a slew of injuries. In his four seasons in the NBA, he's only played in a grand total of 136 games, averaging 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.

If he remains unvaccinated, Jonathan Isaac is expected to miss even more games as several cities have already imposed mandates on vaccination.